The handle clicks and I move on to undo the bolt with a snap. I turn the handle and push the door open. It squeaks loudly and afternoon light spills over the first few feet of the back of the shop.
It’s an office space for the owner. There’s an antique desk in the corner that needs a good oiling and an ancient filing cabinet beside it. I scan left and right, seeing nothing else. I reach for a light switch and…there isn’t one. Awesome.
I knew the electrical was going to be out of date, but I didn’t think it was going to beabsent. There is a two-pronged outlet under the desk, so there’s at least that.
I sigh into a lip-flapping raspberry and pick up Oscar’s kennel. I get my phone out with my other hand and activate my flashlight. The back office is a decent size, with the desk and cabinet on the left, and stairs to what I assume is the apartment on the right. There’s only one window, and it’s been blocked off with cardboard, leaving it dingy inside.
Ahead is a closed door that leads to the rest of the shop. I push it open and walk down the long passage. The opening is highlighted in gold and pink light at the end, and a feral giddiness blooms in my chest. The room opens up, and I suck in a gasp at the sight.
It’s tall and wide, with two support beams in the middle that run all the way to the second-floor ceiling. There was once a twistedstaircase and a walkway supported between the beams, but they’ve since rotted out and collapsed. There’s a second-floor overhang that runs the perimeter of the room that’ll have just enough space for some cozy chairs at each corner.
I might need to reconsider second floor access, since hauling boxes of books up a winding staircase sounds like a recipe for a broken neck. Maybe I can install a ramp on the left side. That would make it more accessible, too. Then, I can cordon off a “mature” section behind that wall on the first floor, ensuring that no young, impressionable minds discover the magic of monster peen too soon.
The light pouring in the stained-glass windows glitters against the disturbed dust as we walk farther in. The ambiance is magical, and I feel like a princess. I turn about, taking in the damaged shelves, the hooks left behind that have half-ripped out of the walls, and all the other scars of life that this place has seen.
“It’s perfect,” I whisper.
Oscar “me-rows” in reply, not sharing my sentiment. That’s okay. Once I get his kitty jungle gym and a few scratching posts set up, he’ll be right at home in here. I don’t doubt he might be one of the main attractions of the store. He’s an excellent cuddler, and there’s nothing much better than a comfy chair, a nice cup of something sweet, and a lap warmer while reading.
My mind starts painting the walls in books, and the floors in colorful rugs. There’ll be two tables right up front with new releases and local authors. I’ll stock Indies right alongside the Traditionally published to help get them exposure.
“Shall we see our new house?” I ask him.
“Meh,” he chits.
“Really?”
He blinks at me slowly and I scoff.
“Fine. I’ll just leave you right here, then.”
I set down his kennel and head for the back. Then, I realize I’ve left some of my most precious possessions, besides Oscar, in the car. I run out and open the back, grabbing the first of five boxes. It’s heavy, but that’s the price I gladly pay for gorgeous, special edition hardbacks.
I move the boxes one at a time into the office area until the back only has my luggage and the blow-up mattress. I’m not one hundred percent sure I want to stay here tonight, but I do need a safe place to store my books if I’m going to stay at a hotel, and I’m really tired of hauling them back and forth every night. It’s safe here, I have a key, and they’ll be all good.
With that done, I move to the right side of the office and up the stairs to the apartment. They’re a little tight, and that doesn’t bode well for my king-sized bed…
Good thing I hired movers!
I bought the premium package with my vacation hours payout that’ll have all my items moved in and placed exactly how I ask for them to be placed. Without any friends in town, that was really my only option.
It’s dark at the first landing, so I pull out my phone and activate the flashlight app. The stairs have a switchback halfway up—another ill omen for my dresser—and there’s another door at the top. Thehandle is locked, which is nice, I appreciate the added privacy. I flip through the keys and find the one that fits this door.
The handle turns, but the door doesn’t budge when I push on it. I scowl and push a little harder, only to hurt my wrist. I look for a bolt or something else that might be barring the way but there’s nothing.
I brace one foot on the lower step and turn the handle, then ram my shoulder into the door. It breaks away and scrapes loudly on the old wood floor. I yelp as I topple into the room and onto a pile of something hard.
five
Angry LizardProblem
Igroan and push myself up, then reach for my phone I’d dropped on the way down. I shine the light on what I’d fallen into and my heart squeezes.
Books.
So many books.
All of them worse for wear.
